Saperstein: "Todays strong, bipartisan vote for the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act prioritizes the health and safety of Americans."
Contact: Kate Bigam or Jason Fenster
202.387.2800 | news@rac.org
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 11, 2009 - In response to todays Senate passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement:
For too long, tobacco products that are known threats to human health, contributing to the deaths of more than 400,000 Americans each year, have been unregulated and unsupervised. Todays strong, bipartisan vote for the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act prioritizes the health and safety of Americans. By empowering the FDA to regulate the way in which tobacco products are made, marketed and sold, this legislation has the power to save lives. This bill will save the lives of children who too often fall victim to targeted marketing campaigns. It will save the lives of mothers and fathers, friends and loved ones who will be protected from the addictive and poisonous ingredients found in tobacco products.
We look forward to a quick resolution of differences between the House and Senate bills and to the speedy enactment of this crucial legislation.